Summer Of Luke

1

I slowly brought the white coffee mug to my dry chapped lips and took a sip. I closed my eyes and focused on the flavor. Opening them back up to make eye-contact with Sadie, my three year old golden retriever. 

"Don't look at me like that, I'm trying my hardest" I drew my focus back onto my computer. I stared at my blank screen for what seemed like an eternity and I still had absolutely no idea what to write. 

"Please hire me because I'm desperate and cannot watch another episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians without my brain exploding?" I rehearsed the line in my head before rolling my eyes at myself. I turned my attention back to the couch where Sadie was staring at me. Her golden brown eyes darted towards the sliding glass doors that lead you to our backyard. 

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Sadie's ears perked up and Robin dashed through the living room and jumped up on me. 

"Gentle, bud" I slowly pushed him off of me and made my way to door. The second I opened it, they both bolted down the side walk and ran to the water. I walked behind and watched as they playfully nipped and jumped on each other.  The sun was just about to set, the sky a deep pink with hints of orange and purple. The wind was blowing causing goosebumps to appear on my skin. The dogs running towards me at full speed snapped me out of my thoughts. 

"So excited to be out of the house, huh?" I asked them as I generously gave them tons of pets. I took a seat on the sand and made myself comfortable. Most nights I take the dogs out here to watch the sunsets. I understand what its like to be cooped up in a tiny house all day. 

"Enjoying the view?" I recognized the voice as Mr. Lee. He was an older man who owns the Chinese restaurant down the street. I heard that it got shut down a few years back for health violations. 

"Yeah, it's a good one tonight." I gave him a gentle smile in which, he returned. 

"Sometimes, it's nice living in a small town." And with that, he continued his stroll down the beach. Mr. Lee was a very kind man but, you could just tell that he's got a past to him. Most people in this town do though. Everyone comes here to get away from something or you have family that's lived here for years. There's really no in between. 

"Come on babies, let's get you home." I called to the dogs and began my walk back to the house. My mother decided that a home on the beach was her new dream. Her original dream was the stereotypical way of life with the neighborhood barques and the white picket fence. Infidelity changes things though. I'm proud of my mom. She got herself up and back into the swing of life after 25 years of marriage. She's acting as if those years never existed, a fresh start. 

I closed the back door, making sure to lock it. The dogs made themselves comfortable on the brand new brown couches as I drag myself down the hallway to my room. Everything about my new bedroom is bland. The only furniture occupying the room is a mattress on the floor and a lamp next to it. I collapse onto the stiff mattress and throw a blanket over my body. I close my eyes and let darkness take over.